Canister harness



July 30, 1963 R. 1 HENKE CANISTER HARNESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29,1962 BY n @MMMCJMM MSH 7- T'URME Ys `Iuly 30, 1963 R. L. HENKE CANISTERHARNESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 29, 1962 I FJ/y INVENTOR.

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Unite States ate This invention relates to la harness for supporting achemical canister used with breathing apparatus.

It is among the objects of this invention toprovide a simple,lightweight and inexpensive harness for holding a breathing apparatuscanister on the body, in which a canister can be quickly and easilymounted, and which is quickly adjustable for canisters of differentheights.

In accordance 'with this invention a cover is shaped to lit Iover thestop of a canister, with which it is to be used. The cover has a topsurrounded by a'depending llange. At the back of the cover the flangehas an integral downward extension. The top of the cover has a centralopening through it 4for the canister neck, and it also has slots atopposite sides `of that opening near the back of the cover. The centralportion of the flange extension is provided with a pair of slots. Acarrying strap, which is doubled on itself, has end portions extendingdown through the top slots and out through the extension slots incrossed relation, and then down below the extension and forward andupward to the front of the cover, to which the ends of the straps arefastened. The portions of the strap beneath the cover from loops forsupporting a canister in the cover. The size of the loops can beadjusted to fit the canister by sliding the str-ap through the slots.The front portions of the loops below the front of the cover may be heldin substantially parallel relation by la stiff cross-piece. A horizontalbody strap may extend through vertical slots in the lower portion of theflange extension.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view;

FIG. 2 is a front view;

FIG. 3 is a rear view;

FIG. 4 is a side view; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section, taken on the line V-V of FIG. 2, Withoutthe straps.

Referring to the drawings, a cover is shown which is shaped to lit overthe top of a breathing apparatus chemical canister having a centralneck. The canister 1 is shown in broken lines in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. Asthis particular cover is intended to be used with an oval canister, thetop 2 of the cover likewise is oval. It is provided with a centralopening 3 for receiving the canister neck. The cover top is surroundedby an integral depending flange 4. At the back of the cover, by which ismeant the side that engages the body of the user whether he Wears thecover in front or behind, the ilange has an integral downward extension5 that may be rectangular. The entire cover most suitably is made fromla molded plastic. The top of the cover is provided at opposite sides ofits central opening .3 with a pair of slots 7 located near the back ofthe cover. The ilange extension 5 likewise is provided lwith a pair ofslots 8, but they are located in its central portion near its bottom.

It is a feature of this invention that the canister is held in the coverby a strap that also supports both of them. Accordingly, the strap 10,which may be formed in two parts detachably connected together by asuitable fastener, is doubled on itself and its two end portions extend:down through slots 7 in the top of the cover and then out of the coverthrough slots 8 in flange extension 5. ln this latter llocation thestraps cross each other and Patented July 30, 1963 then extend downbelow the extension and forward beneath it and then upward to the frontof the cover, t0 which they are attached, preferably by looping the endsthrough a pair of slots 11 in the front of llange 4 and stitching theends to the body of the strap. It will be seen that the two portions ofthe strap beneath the cover form a pair of loops, and that crossing ofthe straps at the back of the cover helps to keep the lloops fromspreading apart. This may be further prevented by a cross-piece 12, theopposite ends of rwhich are attached by fasteners 13 to the portions ofthe strap hanging down from the front of the cover. By making thecross-piece relatively stiff, it also can be used to hold the adjoiningportions of the strap in substantially parallel relation in front of thecanister so that the loops will not pull together. The crossed strapswill Ilie straighter and flatter if slots 8 in the ilange extension areinclined so that each slot is perpendicular to the inclined portion ofthe strap therein between that slot and the top of the cover. Likewise,the lay `of the strap inside the cover is improved by having the topslots 7 converge forward.

It will be seen that the loops can be enlarged by pulling the strap downthrough the two sets -of slots to permit a canister to be inserted inthe loops and its neck to be inserted in opening 3. Then the strap ispulled up through the slots to shorten the loops and cause them to pullthe top of the cover and the top of the canister together so that flange4 will surround the top of the canister. The portions of the strapengaging the inside of flange extension 5, and the small loops in frontslots 11, will be pinched between the canister and the cover to providea friction ht.

l-f a taller canister is to be used with this cover, al1 that has to bedone is to enlarge the strap loops enough to accommodate it. ln such `aoase it is `desirable to move cross-piece 12 down farther on the frontportions of the strap. This can be done by providing those portions ofthe strap with vertically spaced parts 14 of snap fasteners, and alsomaking fasteners 13 snap fasteners so that the cross-piece can beattached to the strap at two diffe-rent levels.

To hold the canister more snugly against the body, the lower part offlange extension 5 may be provided near its opposite ends with la pairof vertical slots 16 lfor a strap 17 that passes around the body. Aportion of this strap extends across the front side of the flangeextension between the two vertical slots. In order to permit thisportion of the strap to lie flush with the front surface of the flange,the front of the flange is provided with a recess d8 for the strap.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple of my invention and have illustrated and described what 1 nowconsider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desi-re to have itunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specically illustrated and described.

I claim:

l. A canister harness comprising a cover shaped to llt over the top of achemical canister and having a top surrounded by a depending flange, theflange at the back o-f the cover having an integral downward extension,the top of the cover having la central opening therethrough for acanister neck and having slots at opposite sides of said openingadjacent the back of the cover, the central portion of said flangeextension being provided with a pair of slots, a carrying str-ap doubledon itself and having end portions extending down through said top slotsand out through said extension slots in crossed relation and then downbelow said extension and forward and upward to the front of the cover,and means fastening the ends of the strap to said ange at the front ofthe cover, whereby the portions of the strap beneath the cover form`loops for supporting a canister in the cover.

2. A canister harness according to claim 1, in which the ilower part ofsaid ange extension is provided with a pair of -vertical slots near itsopposite ends, and a body strap extends forward through one verticalslot and across said extension and back out through the other vert-icalslot, the portion of said extension between said vertical slots beingprovided with a strap-receiving recess in its front side.

3. A canister harness according to claim l, including fa stiffcross-piece attached to the two strap portions suspended from the fronttof the cover to hold them in substantially parallel relation.

4. A canister harness according to claim 3, including means fordetachably connecting the ends of said crosspiece to the strap atdierent levels for canisters of dierent heights.

5. A canister harness according to claim 1, in which said flangeextension slots are inclined in opposite directions.

`6. A canister harness according to claim 5, in which said top slotsoom/erge forward.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,828,343 Beverlin Feb. 18, 1958

1. A CANISTER HARNESS COMPRISING A COVER SHAPED TO FIT OVER THE TOP OF ACHEMICAL CANISTER AND HAVING A TOP SURROUNDED BY A DEPENDING FLANGE, THEFLANGE AT THE BACK OF THE COVER HAVING AN INTEGRAL DOWNWARD EXTENSION,THE TOP OF THE COVER HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH FOR ACANISTER NECK AND HAVING SLOTS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENINGADJACENT THE BACK OF THE COVER, THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID FLANGEEXTENSION BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF SLOTS, A CARRYING STRAP DOUBLEDON ITSELF AND HAVING END PORTIONS EXTENDING DOWN THROUGH SAID TOP SLOTSAND OUT THROUGH SAID EXTENSION SLOTS IN CROSSED RELATION AND THEN DOWNBELOW SAID EXTENSION AND FORWARD AND UPWARD TO THE FRONT OF THE COVER,AND MEANS FASTENING THE